Doctors Urged to Screen Heart Patients for Depression

The American Heart Association wants doctors to ask patients with heart disease some simple questions:

How often in the past two weeks have you had little interest or pleasure in doing things? And during those two weeks, how often have you felt down, depressed or hopeless?

The answers can range from “not at all” to “every day.” If the response is in the affirmative, the Heart Association recommends asking further questions -- about difficulty sleeping, feeling tired, eating poorly or trouble relating to others.

The AHA (American Heart Association) says studies have shown that heart patients experience depression at three times the rate of those in the general population. Research also indicates that patients who are not treated for depression are least likely to take their heart medicine or show up for cardiac rehabilitation.